INB13 is due to take place between 17th and 21st February 2025 but what is the current state of play? Where did it all start? A special session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), held in December 2021, established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) (representing all regions of the world) and gave the INB a…
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The resumed INB12 ended last week on 6th December 2024 after five days of negotiations. The unelected, unaccountable and largely unknown bureaucrats from the 194 WHO Member States (plus two observer states – the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine) given a mandate to negotiate a Pandemic Agreement were unable to reach consensus. Consequently, three…
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This is a brief summary of the opening session of INB12. More information about the progress of the negotiations will be known at the end of the this week. Introduction The co-chairs of the INB, Precious Matzos and Anne-Claire Lamprou, opened the resumed INB 12 and then handed over to the Director-General of the WHO,…
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As with previous INB meetings, the opening session, adoption of the agenda and programme of work, report of the meeting and closure of the session were publicly webcast. Relevant stakeholders were invited to join and contribute. The substantive negotiations and the “stocktake” on progress were held in “closed” session i.e. not open to the people. …
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After almost three years of negotiations, we all know the process: the INB opens with a publicly webcast session which, for the most part, involves the various delegations thanking the INB Bureau, the Secretariat and each other for the progress made and then, after several long hours, the meeting moves into the “closed” substantive drafting…
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A reminder that the 12th session of the INB commences in Geneva, Switzerland on 4th November 2024 where negotiations on the proposed Pandemic Agreement will continue. Whilst the INB has a mandate to continue negotiations through to the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2025, there is a desire amongst the unelected, unaccountable and…
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As is normal practice, the Co-Chairs displayed the Draft Report on the screen for comment. After it was agreed, the floor was handed over to the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus (DG). The DG acknowledged that the progress made was disappointing but maintained that reaching agreement by the end of the year remains a…
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In December 2021, the World Health Assembly (WHA) established an INB with a mandate to negotiate and draft a pandemic agreement to be adopted at the 77th WHA in May 2024. After nine meetings and over two years of negotiations consensus was not reached so, instead of the pandemic agreement being adopted at the 77th…
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The goal of the INB is to agree the terms of the Pandemic Treaty prior to the end of 2024. The opening and closing plenary sessions of the INB taking place on 9th and 20th September will be publicly webcast. They are open to WHO Member States, Associate Members, Observers and regional economic integration organisations,…
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Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated he wants the Treaty agreed before the end of 2024 in time for the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025. At the 10th meeting of the International Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention,…
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Only a few weeks in office and Labour is already failing to keep its election promises and our country is divided, angry and tearing itself apart. It is our duty as UK Citizens to hold Labour and the opposition MPs to account; the future prosperity and happiness of our great nation depends on each and…
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On the 14th August 2024, as anticipated by many, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO (Tedros), declared mpox (previously known as monkey pox) a public health emergency of international concern (“PHEIC” pronounced “fake”). This is the second PHEIC determination in two years relating to mpox – the first was in July 2022 and was…
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If so, and should it result in an emergency declaration in the UK, then “NO” is going to become a very important word! In a tweet on the 8th August, the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, advised that he was convening the Emergency Committee (EC) (under the International Health Regulations (IHR)) on Wednesday…
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The Pandemic Treaty was not defeated as some commentators would have us believe. On the contrary there is, seemingly, the broad political will to finalise negotiations and reach a consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, however, there are still challenges to be overcome – equity remains one such challenge. Is it now time to challenge the…
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Contrary to what some commentators would have us believe, the Pandemic Treaty has NOT been defeated. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was mandated on 1st December 2021 to begin drafting and negotiating an agreement to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. On 1st June, 2024, at the 77th World Health Assembly, that mandate was extended…
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